Air War #4: Grumman TBF Avenger

Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber.

Crewmen clean fuselage of Grumman TBF Avenger.

Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber undergoing engine maintenance.

Okinawa Campaign, U.S. Naval Gunfire Support, April-June 1945. U.S. Marine Corps TBF “Avengers” over the Pacific. Planes of a Marine torpedo bomber squadron seen through the escape hatch of a transport, en route to recently captured airfields on Okinawa. Photographed by Master Sergeant C.L. Jansson, 25 April 1945. Official U.S. Marine Corps Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Okinawa Campaign, U.S. Naval Gunfire Support, April-June 1945. TBM “Avenger” from USS Block Island (CVE-106) flying over Yontan Airfield on West Coast of Okinawa, Ryukyus, May 20, 1945. Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Okinawa Campaign, U.S. Naval Gunfire Support, April-June 1945. TBM “Avenger” aircraft from USS Block Island (CVE-106) flying over Yontan Airfield on West Coast of Okinawa, Ryukyus, May 20, 1945. Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Okinawa Campaign, U.S. Naval Gunfire Support, April-June 1945. TBM “Avenger” aircraft in flight from USS Suwannee (CVE-27), pilot, E.J. Halcin, on anti-submarine patrol during the 1st day of Okinawa operations, April 1, 1945. Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Kenneth Bratton is pulled out of the gun turret of Air Group Commander Henry H. Caldwell's Grumman TBF Avenger by LT Julius "Julie" Briscoe, after raid on Rabaul, 5 November 1943. Photographer Paul Barnett was killed on the flight.

Grumman TBM Avenger of Torpedo Squadron VT-10 aboard USS Enterprise with machine gun holes in the wing following air-to-air combat with a Japanese Kawasaki Ki-61 “Tony” fighter off Truk, Caroline Islands, 16 Feb 1944.

TBM Avengers warming up their engines on USS Lexington (CV-16) 1944.

AMM 2/c Loyce Deen is buried at sea in his TBF Avenger, the only crewman buried in his airplane. November 5, 1944.

Grumman TBF-1 Avengers from the USS Essex (CV-9) dropping a practice torpedo from 150 feet, Gulf of Paria, Trinidad, March 30, 1943. Note the porpoising early Mark XIII torpedo.

Grumman TBM Avenger.

TBF-1 Avenger of Torpedo Squadron 5 (VT-5) is launched from the hangar catapult on USS Yorktown (CV-10).

USS Bogue (CVE-9) at anchor at Bermuda, a pair of TBM Avengers on her flight deck testing their engines. Bogue wears Camouflage Measure 32, Design 4A. February 1945.

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver aircraft near completion at Canadian Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay). Prior to the American entry into the Second World War, the Curtiss Aircraft Co. increased production of SB2C Helldiver naval aircraft by licensing construction to two Canadian companies - Fairchild Aircraft and Canadian Car and Foundry. Though the first flight of the prototype did not happen until December 1940, large-scale production had already been ordered on 29 November 1940. A large number of modifications were specified for the production model and the program suffered so many delays that the Grumman TBF Avenger entered service before the Helldiver, even though the Avenger had begun its development two years later. Nevertheless, production tempo accelerated with production at Columbus, Ohio and two Canadian factories: Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. (Canada) which produced a total of 300 (under the designations XSBF-1, SBF-1, SBF-3 and SBF-4E) and Canadian Car and Foundry which built 894 (designated SBW-1, SBW-3, SBW-4, SBW-4E and SBW-5), these models being respectively equivalent to their Curtiss-built counterparts. A total of 7,140 SB2Cs were produced in World War II.

Grumman TBF Avenger.

TBM Avengers from USS Tulagi (CVE-72) in flight over Iwo Jima, 2 March 1945.

ASM-N-2 Bat missile is carried by a U.S. Navy Grumman TBM Avenger. Note the folded tail fins which, when the BAT is released, would open into proper flight position.

Grumman TBF-1 "Avenger" torpedo bomber during torpedo attack practice, 3 July 1942, with its Mark XIII torpedo entering the water. Height of drop: 125 feet. Aircraft speed 125 knots. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives 80-G-10528.

Grumman TBF Avenger (93) crash on aircraft carrier USS Hornet.

Okinawa Campaign, Pre-Landing Bombardment, March 28, 1945. A TBM “Avenger” aircraft returns to USS Essex (CV-9) after being hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire just before the Okinawa Invasion. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Okinawa, Ryukyus Islands, April 1945. Six USS Hancock (CV-19) TBM bombers fly near Okinawa, while supporting the invasion forces, 4 April 1945.

TBM-3 of Torpedo Squadron Six (VT-6) off USS Hancock (CV-19) flies over ships of Task Force 58 during operations off Okinawa. Note the white stripe on the tail and starboard wing identifying the aircraft as a Hancock-based Avenger. VT-6 operated from USS Enterprise (CV-6) during the period November-December 1943, and was involved in the first night air-to-air engagement by carrier-based aircraft on 26 November. During the mission squadron skipper LCDR John Phillips and his crew downed two Japanese G4M bombers in the skies near the Gilbert Islands. VT-6 later operated from USS Intrepid (CV-11) during January-February 1944 and USS Hancock (CV-19) during March-August 1945. (US Navy photo)

Grumman TBF-1 Avenger.

Filmming of "On an Island with You," Anna Maria Island, Florida, circa 1948. "On an Island with You," is a 1948 musical romantic comedy directed by Richard Thorpe. It starred Esther Williams, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montalban, Cyd Charisse, and Kathryn Beaumont.